Who is Iván Barton, the referee for Switzerland vs Colombia in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup?
The El Salvador official takes charge of his third match at the tournament after making headlines with several controversial decisions.
El Salvador’s Iván Barton will referee Colombia’s round of 16 game against Switzerland at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, his third appointment since the start of the tournament.
The 35-year-old will be assisted in Vancouver by compatriots David Morán and Antonio Pupiro. Mexico’s Katia Itzel García will serve as the fourth official, while compatriot Guillermo Pacheco has been appointed VAR.
Barton returns for third game of 2026 World Cup
Barton is officiating at his second World Cup, having taken charge of three games in Qatar in 2022, including England’s round of 16 victory over Senegal.
This year, he was in the middle for Paraguay’s 1-0 win over Türkiye and the draw between Japan and Sweden, both during the group stage.
The Salvadorian became the first referee to send off a player, Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón, for covering his mouth during a verbal confrontation with an opponent, in line with the new rule introduced for the 2026 World Cup.
Barton is a chemistry graduate who has been on FIFA’s list of international referees since 2018. In addition to the World Cup, he has officiated in the Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the Club World Cup.
Referee no stranger to controversy
In an ill-tempered CONCACAF Nations League semifinal between the United States and Mexico in June 2023, Barton sent off no fewer than four players, including Americans Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie. The game also saw the referee blow for full time early after Mexican fans ignored stadium announcements ordering them to stop homophobic chanting.
Later in 2023, Barton’s officiating sparked further controversy in another Nations League clash involving Mexico, when Honduras threatened legal action over his decision to play 12 minutes of added time. Mexico won the quarterfinal on penalties after equalizing in the 101st minute of regular time, leading Honduran Football Federation president Jorge Salomón to tell El Heraldo: “We’re going to assess what we can do in legal terms. The refereeing didn’t just go in favour of the home team, it was if they’d been told what to do.”
Switzerland vs. Colombia: kickoff time and how to watch in the U.S.
The round of 16 matchup between Switzerland and Colombia kicks off Tuesday, July 7, at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT. Viewers in the United States can watch all the action on FOX Network, FOX One, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and Peacock.
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